: The Clinton administration has unveiled new regulations to protect thousands of acres of wetlands from development, an effort aimed at slowing the disappearance of the fragile areas nationwide. The new rules will make it more difficult for U.S. companies to build homes and roads near small creeks and streams. In most cases, home builders would be required to secure individual permits for projects affecting one-half acre of wetlands or more, compared to the current minimum of three acres.Individual permits, which refer to a single project in a specific location, are known to take longer to be granted. Nationwide permits, however, are issued on a regional or nationwide bases and have fewer requirements